a dog barks
somewhere
in the night
the cat stares
out a window
I make lists
of things
to pack
another day
passes
toward the future
other writing
sorrow
sorrow
at seeing
a nation
torn apart
its people
suffer
for the sake
of one man’s
ego
to one unnamed: after Li Shang-yin
a breeze blows
the curtains
Emmylou sings
of walking
a thousand miles
my mind drifts
a tea cup
a smile
a laugh
a heart
in limbo
on this side
of the world
5:50 am, Maltepe
lights
on islands
out at sea
blinking
at me
sip from cup
waiting
for dawn
painkillers
no painkillers
for these memories
the dead of night
the pain
in the legs
the ache
in the heart
the chill
in the bones
so far
so very far
from home
one walks
one walks
gingerly
through the swamps
of the past
seeking
solid ground
on which
to build
a future
in my mind, where I am
sitting
at a table
overlooking
the water
waiting
always waiting
for you
to appear
as darkness descends: for Steve
as the light
recedes
from your eyes
as darkness
descends
around you
only the pictures
in your mind
are left
frozen
in time
what comes calling
always
when least
expected
opportunity comes
calling
upsetting
the present
confusing
the future
rekindling
the past
Leonard Durso 